<P>>Keep in mind that in the <BR>>70s, the geniuses of the day, <BR>>Stevie and Marvin (and Prince in <BR>>the late 70s to modern day) <BR>>could pump out at least an <BR>>album a year, and most of <BR>>the ish was BRILLIANT. <P>not true at all. oh ye of limited knowledge. you picked the 2 figures that were notorious for making record label presidents pull their hair out.<P>stevie: SONGS IN THE... was held back for 2 and a half years. Berry was crying his eyes out. no one at motown was hittin like that $$$$. and when it did come out. the village voice panned it. rolling stone panned it. cream panned it. (yes, songs in the key of life) then money waits another 3 years and releases JOURNEY THROUGH THE SECRECT LIFE OF PLANTS he took an ass whippin for this one. now 3 years ain't shit. but then? shit was a lifetime. and when HOTTER THAN JULY came out (steve's true follow up to SONGS 4 YEARS MIND YOU).....critics havn't been impressed since innervisons. BUT OF COURSE THE PEOPLE SPOKE THROUGH TIME.<P>marvin: everyone knows that marvin was notorius for writers block (thus the mostly instrumental TROUBLE MAN, 2 LIVE RECORDS IN 2 YEARS, and all those instrumental passes on I WANT YOU.) not to mention david ritz himself (marvin biographer) says that all of HERE MY DEAR is freestyle. (sheeit just try reciting the words to "when did you stop loving me?" without fail. 6 minutes of madness!!!!!) <P>and prince?- PURPLE RAIN is his moment in the sun. no one gave a fuck about him til purple rain ("dirty mind is a classic!!!!" whatever, y'all know y'all discovered that shit in 85 after the movie came out.!) and then he churned out one mediocre record after another................(post sign that is)<P>so my point is....no one pleases everybody. personally these records made me into the person who i am today. but please don't go around blind thinkin that THE MASTERS went through the 70's unscathed just because the people ignored naysayers and made these records classics.<P>Does it <BR>>really take a true creative genius <BR>>five whole years to come up <BR>>with some good ish, and then <BR>>when it drops, for it to <BR>>be not THAT far removed from <BR>>its predecessor? <P>well you said marvin and steve were briliant. and you could easily mitch match innervisons, fullilingness, and songs. hands down.<P>now if you are saying that voodoo "sounds" like brown sugar.....well then i have to hear what kind of stereo system you got. (mind you i said <BR>"sounds" not "is better")i sure hear a difference. ain't no "smooth" on voodoo.<P>>The time spent waiting was used for <BR>>D to gloss magazine covers, and <BR>>have publicity articles heralding D as <BR>>the "Second Coming", when all we <BR>>wanted was a "second album"...eff the <BR>>G.D. hype!!! <P>well i now know who between you and me is in the industry and who is not.<P>voodoo was finished in august of 99. we spent 6 months waiting for lauryn to make up her mind....as for magazines...well....no one says "imma take a photo then i'll do "send it on" backrounds." sorry press starts once album is done. there are some exceptions however. one can take a photo and record at the same time.<P><P><BR>Real music doesn't require <BR>>all that hype artificial release dates <BR>>to build a big fan base....if <BR>>he is a real musical genius, <BR>>then it'll find an audience!<P>well. you sound disgruntled. hey that's you. as for me (or us) we never said anything about "king of soul" or we are the best. (however i wanna know.....what are the reqiurements of king in your book? i don't see the difference in "sweet little girl" or "poor abbey walsh" or "chicken grease" or "moviestar".........<P>who are you comparing this boy to? brian mcknight? ginuwine? case?......black thought? who money? <BR> <BR>>Now he faces the problem that the <BR>>expectations on the album were along <BR>>the lines of a "Songs In <BR>>The Key" meets "A Kind of <BR>>Blue" cum "Sign Of The Times"....and <BR>>it doesn't meet that hype. Although <BR>>I like the project, it surely <BR>>doesn't break any new musical ground <BR>>like expected. In a five <BR>>year wait, we could have gotten <BR>>three to five albums of similar <BR>>quality from him. <BR>>I don't feel ripped off, but I <BR>>do feel let down. <P><BR>well save the receipt and i hope your savior comes save you from the soul sky.....<BR>.....i don't know about y'all imma funk til then wit my boy<BR>THE SOULQUARIANS<BR>chewy (quest).....jan<BR>luke (d)........feb <BR>lando (jaydee)......feb<BR>cp30 (james poyser).....jan<BR>r2d2 (jazzy jeff)......jan<BR>hans (chaos)........jan<BR>anakin (lil mike)......feb<P>honorary members:<BR>kelo- soulacorn.......jan<BR>common- soulcies......march<BR>erykah- soulcies......feb<BR>